Redhook Brewery taps beer named for worker killed in keg accident

PORTSMOUTH — Three months after a tragic workplace accident that killed Redhook Brewery worker Ben Harris, the brewery released a beer in Harris' name in hopes of keeping memories of him alive.

Ben Harris Beer, made available to the public for the first time during a beer tapping celebration at the brewery Friday, reflects Harris' hardworking character and his love for beer, said Andy Schwardz, brewer at Redhook who has known Harris for more than five years.

"He was a work hard play hard kind of guy," said Schwardz.

The idea to create a beer in Harris' name was born the day of the fatal accident on April 24.

Andy Thomas, president of commercial operations for Craft Brew Alliance, the parent company of Redhook, said that workers at Redhook and those who knew Harris wanted to find a way to pay special tribute to Harris.

"The right thing to do is brew a beer — the logical thing," said Thomas.

When it came to deciding the ingredients and recipe for the beer, it took much collaboration and consultation with those who were close to Harris.

Thomas described the process as "a groundswell of love and support."

Schwartz said that while Harris, 26, liked a variety of beers his favorites were the kind he could drink after work while relaxing with his friends. He said it was pretty common to find Harris after work enjoying his favorite beers with coworkers.

The first thing that came to mind when thinking of a brew in Harris' memory, said Schwartz, is making the beer cream ale, the type of American beer that came from smaller breweries before modern refrigeration and reminds one of blue-collar Pennsylvania, Harris' home state.

"You want to think of Ben when you drink this beer," said Thomas.

The unique brew also has some ingredients, such as corn, which are not typically used by Redhook. Schwartz said that while corn is sometimes used by larger beer companies to make their beer lighter, Redhook added the ingredient to provide a "bready, corny" flavor and texture.

The memorial beer also has two-row barley, carapils for a touch of sweetness, and victory malt.

If Harris were to taste the beer brewed in his memory, "He would love it," said Schwartz.

Otto Kuhn, head brewmaster at Anheuser-Busch brewery in Merrimack, was one of the dozens in attendance Friday at the keg tapping ceremony. He said he came to the event to show his support of Redhook after April's tragedy.

"In a way all breweries are the same. We share the same beliefs, we share the same love of beer," said Kuhn. "We feel (the tragedy) deep down inside."

On Friday, Kuhn remembered the "horrendous feeling" he had when he first heard about Harris' death on April 24, when a plastic beer keg with pressurized air exploded, blowing apart at the seams while Harris was cleaning the keg.

Kuhn said an accident like that is "the last thing you want to happen anywhere."

Dover residents Cleo Huggins and Troy Payne gave gotten to know Harris a few years ago, through being regular customers at Redhook.

"When he finished working he would come out for his beer," said Huggins, who said that Harris' death was hard news to take in.

"He is just a kid — he is 26 (years old)," said Payne. "He was an awesome guy. You don't really meet young people who have that energy and focus."

Harris died Tuesday, April 24, of injuries sustained when a plastic beer keg he was cleaning with pressurized air exploded, blowing apart at the seams. A Newington resident, Harris was a Pennsylvania native who had recently been married and was expecting the birth of a child in December.

Craft Brew Alliance has hired an independent investigator to probe the cause of the accident. Federal inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also still reviewing the circumstances. Redhook Brewery plans to make Ben Harris Beer available on draft nationally over the next several weeks. Starting in the fall, the brewery plans to bottle Ben Harris Beer and distribute it in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Additionally, Redhook plans to make the bottled beer available in Pennsylvania.

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